Ballad of the Desert

Chapter 3 (Part 2)

"I have already burnt my contract. If you want another sales contract, we can draw a new one up."

Sympathy flickered across Luna's features as she softly walked up to her stiff friend and took her hand. "Belle, if you want to come back, from now on, you are part of the Hall. You will have to listen to me."

Whipping her eyes up from the floor, Belle stared hollowly at Luna before pulling her hand away from Luna's grasp. "You knew. You knew I'd come back."

Luna straightened up as she looked steadily on at her friend, waiting for her reaction.

Smiling with no mirth as her eyes settled to a point beyond Luna's left shoulder, Belle's features hardened as she came to her conclusion. "This is what you wanted. It all went according to your wishes. Are you happy now?"

I have to be harsh on her in order for her to grow... She will understand one day.

Steeling her eyes, Luna bore them into Belle's irate ones. "You have no right to blame others. Your stepmother and brother abandoned and betrayed you. That is your problem. This was something that you should have thought through in the beginning. It's not recent news that your stepmother sold you off into a dance hall, yet your brother has never appeared to see you."

As Luna paced around Belle, lashing harshly at Belle from behind and from the sides, Belle's face began to crumple again.

"It's not my fault that you have denied the truth from yourself and tried to comfort yourself. One must learn when to fight and when to retreat. It's your fault that you now don't have a home to return to. Besides, dance halls sell skills not bodies, why should you care about other's misinterpretations? Jianan City is so large, yet you cannot even find a place to earn a living for yourself. Is that my fault?"

Almost faltering amidst hearing Belle's pained sobs which escaped her fiery façade, Luna finally stopped. Luna gave a pointed look at Madame Scarlett, who walked softly upwards to cup Belle's dripping face. Cooing at her softly, Madame Scarlett began the second part of the plan.

"Don't cry. It's okay. When I was six years of age, my parents sold me off because they needed money for my brother's wedding. Now, I don't even remotely remember what my parents look like. All the girls in the hall are similar. At least you've had your parent's love for a few more years. For us, we only had to rely on ourselves. You must learn to rely on yourself in the future.

Since we gave you back your sales contract, you are a freedwoman. If you find yourself a better place in the future, you can leave at any time. However, since you now with our Hall, you must adhere to the rules here. Understand?"

No longer crying, Belle sniffed and nodded at the older woman. At the orders of Madame Scarlett, Belle followed one of the maids to her room.

Skipping forward to bump Madame Scarlett teasingly on the shoulder, Luna squinted her eyes at her. "So, how does it feel to be the good person?"

Smiling cheekily back, the older lady replied. "Pretty good! I always had to be the hated bad person but now, it's nice to get a changed experience."